Robin, The Girl Wonder!
by ParamoreXO
Summary: When offered the chance to take up the mantle of a former teammate, Artemis is hesitant to accept the infamous role of Gotham's Girl Wonder. The city grows restless, however, and gradually takes advantage of the Dark Knight's partner-less blindside. Before she ends her crime fighting days for good, Artemis just might take one final nosedive into the twisted heart of Gotham.


_**Robin, The Girl Wonder!**_

* * *

**A/N: **This takes place between the five year gap that separates Season One and Season Two, after Jason Todd's run as Robin but before Tim's. I tried to stay true to the time stream of the Bat family while simultaneously keeping tabs with the events that hypothetically led up to _Young Justice: Invasion._ A lot of guesswork was involved so I could make the run of Artemis as Robin convincing, like the events of Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing or villains that are at large in Gotham during this time. Considering that this is an AU fic anyways, any errors that would corrupt "correct events" were not intentional. I had to make a few things up. On a final note, I started writing this before "Bloodlines" and "Depths" aired and before information really began to leak about _Young Justice: Legacy_. So, for the sake of not rewriting this entire fic, let's pretend that Dick's civilian identity is no secret to Artemis now and that she and Wally left the Team a tad earlier than they actually did. Without further ado, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **_Do I own Young Justice?_ Ha, no. Start telling better jokes.**_  
_**

* * *

**She's wearing nothing but a dampened robe when she emerges from the bathroom, leaving a trail of steam in her wake as she pads across the sunlit hall to her bedroom.** Just as Artemis rests her hands on the wooden door to enter, instinct and a wary sentiment restrict her from any further movement. Suddenly, the moisture in her hair feels as if she had just showered in ice water, the fine blonde fringe on the back of her neck bristling in alarm as adrenaline taints her labyrinth of veins. The presence of an intruder is palpable, she _knows_ someone is standing on the other side, waiting, _expecting_. To confirm this, she leans forward, her forehead nearly pressing against the door when she hears a slight rush of air whistling through the fire escape and flowing into her room, rattling the blinds, indicating an open window which she's absolutely sure was locked when she left for a morning shower. Reassured with the fact that she knows twenty-seven ways to kill a man with her bare hands, she shoves the panel open and charges in with her fists balled at her sides, ready to take on any challenge the world dared to place in her bedroom.

She lodges a fist at the dark, ominous figure waiting at the foot of Jade's old bed before her panicked mind even registers the fact that she _knows _this person. The leather fingers of a gauntlet ensnare her punch with ease, effectively blocking her attack while its pair rises up to prepare for a second lug. There's no need for another offense, however, for Artemis now knows in full who she just launched a fist at. The bundle of muscle in her extended arm goes limp in his grasp, his name escaping her mouth in an incredulous breath, "Batman?"

Dropping her hand, his arms retreat to his sides while the length of his cape shrouds his body, "Artemis."

"Er…" glancing down at her appearance, her lack of attire in his presence launches a rush of blood to her cheeks. "One sec."

Making her way towards her walk-in closet, she can't help but mutter "_Holy shit, Batman in the day time_" before scurrying into the cramped, clothes-strewn space. After securing the door behind her, she unties her robe before wrapping her tangled mass of hair up in it. Shrugging on a lightly wrinkled Senior Year tee, the only casual wear Gotham Academy ever had to offer her, she's quick to slip on a pair of track shorts before toweling off her hair. Throwing the sodden cloth on the ground, she nearly walks out of the closet before a particular cardboard box snags her attention. Dark brows knitting together, she gives it a baffled look before hoisting it up in her arms. With the plans she and Wally had for moving out west together, she'd been storing boxes for the move in his car every time he'd make runs to Gotham. She'd sworn that she had packed away the final box yesterday, but if the clanking contents were any indication, apparently not. _Oh well, _she figures. _Just another opportunity for him to stop by._

Emerging in a more suitable outfit, she walks towards the renowned hero while pure puzzlement contorts her visage. "Can I… um, help you?"

A sticky breeze venting through the open window ruffles his dark cloak, the only lively aspect of his looming appearance. His lips part in verbalization, but his expression remains gravely stoic. "How would you like to be the _Girl Wonder _for a few days?"

The box nearly falls from her arms and Artemis Crock, christened Queen of Quips, barely manages to spit out a single syllable. "What?"

The white lenses of his mask bore into her as he expands on his offer, "Until I find a replacement."

"What, so you're just using me as a rebound girl? Low."

His dark cowl scrunches as his patented Bat-glare violates her stare at maximum intensity.

Sighing, she sets the cardboard box atop her vanity, frowning when the contents topple over. Glancing up, her eyes rest on the recent photographs that she's tucked into the frame of the bureau's lightly dusted mirror. One picture in particular depicts her and Wally from Gotham Academy's ritzy prom night, her face angled towards his in what was an almost-kiss. In the moment captured by Dick, the couple had been completely unaware of being the target of a trolling snipe. The memory spreads her lips into an undeniable smile, but the current proposition she's considering gives it a melancholy appearance. "I dunno, Batman. You know about the plans Wally and I have for the next couple of weeks. Why are you asking me this now?"

"You have the option of telling me no."

Looking away from the colorful border of mementos, she greets his rather detached expression with the faintest trace of a pout. Contemplating her options with a haughty cross of the arms, she's unsure of the entire prospect of teaming up with Gotham's Dark Knight. Does she really need this in her life right now, especially at a time when she's starting to stray away from her duties at Mount Justice? Since moving out of her dorm and no longer having to juggle both her college commitments and vigilante duties, the events of her life had gradually started to wind down and, quite honestly, she enjoyed having the time to lounge around. Just last week, she and Wally had informed their respective mentors and "den mothers" about the strong possibility of pursuing an educational career together more seriously after musing over it with the rest of their teammates for weeks. Each member had agreed to allow them some time off, a few exceptions clearly viewing that as the couple's official resignation, seeing how they were going to live together. Although their plans weren't concrete, she was certain that she and Wally would have to step down from their roles completely once they decided on a place to settle down, anyways. Surely moonlighting before the whole Team saw her off would only serve as an overdose to the excitement she was trying to wean off of.

Personal issues aside, why was he doing this? She thought that someone had already taken up the big _R_ after Dick went all Nightwing on everyone. She couldn't begin to understand why Batman had come to her, in her home no less, with this. "But why me? Why now?"

Still unmoved from the spot where he stood when she had rudely greeted him, his voice came out in a low, rugged rasp. "I'm offering you the mantle of Robin until I find a partner more suitable for the role. You know the routes and history of Gotham. We have fought side by side. You're familiar with League terms and their values which hold a resemblance to my own. Taking your background into consideration, I will only allow for you to be briefly trained, and only with the weaponry your utility belt will hold. Ultimately, I see you as the quickest choice. But you must acknowledge that _this is temporary_."

She can't help but drop her gaze towards the ground, eyes narrowing as her mind begins to sort out this overwhelming proposal. Sure, it was true that Dick had showed her how to use the gas and smoke pellets that had been stashed away in his utility belt once upon a slightly tipsy Christmas Eve at the Watchtower. With that tidbit of information factored into her assassin upbringing at the hand of her father, did she really have what it took to be Robin, the Girl Wonder? Even if it was just for a few days?

"Make your decision by the end of the week," he states, interrupting her train of thought. There's a pitch of finality to his gravely voice that makes her think that, if she's going to be seeing him anytime soon, it'll be in a Robin suit. "I'm giving you this time to tailor a costume specifically to your needs. From what I understand, you designed your last costume, so this should be no challenge. When you finish, contact me so I can reinforce the material with a higher density polymer. I will provide you with a utility belt and weaponry."

"Wait..." her left hand instinctively brushes against the spot where her thigh holster is usually strapped, fingers flexing for her failsafe crossbow. Instead of the familiar leather pouch, the pads of her fingers brush against her cool flesh and an alarming realization dawns on her. Last time she checked, Robins didn't shoot arrows. "do I still get to use—"

As she looks up to retrieve an answer from the Dark Knight, however, her searching gaze fails to find him.

_Well_, she thinks, half annoyed and partially impressed with his vanishing act, _if I'm going to pull this off, I'll need to be able to do that ninja thing._


End file.
